Fishing Rhino

Did she get the show because she is eye candy? I've only seen a few of the "Hooking up" (interesting name for a show hosted by a woman) shows, and she seems to be extremely awkward when fighting a fish, from the way she handles a rod to the way she cranks a reel. Her show is a travelogue, sometimes cooking show about fishing. I believe the show has become a tag team with a male partner. Hooking up with Nick and Mariko. Interesting. Nick gets the primary billing. When Michael Strahan took over Regis Philbin's seat, the show that was Regis and Kelly became Kelly and Michael. Seniority counted for something.

I'm responsible for Raider's nickname "Resident pharmaceutical guru". I have one for you to put with your avatar. "Resident adult beverage advisor"

A couple of thoughts. Why are you standing there without a rod in your hands? Do you do that when you are fishing with one of the guys? Could it make her feel as though you are watching over her shoulder? That's a two edged sword, that can cut both ways. It might help if you back off a little, since what you are doing could undermine her confidence. There is nothing wrong with each of you having a separate interest. My wife has no interest in fishing. She will go with me once in a while where she can see the sights on the water, and grab a nap on the back deck. She has interests that do not interest me in the slightest. It's a case of different strokes for different folks. What you are doing may be perfect. For someone else, it could be a disaster. In situations like this, there is no "one size fits all". This advice is worth what you paid for it.

A lot of compartments on boats are set into structural components, such as stringers and bulkheads. Don't remove anything unless you KNOW what you are doing. You may compromise the stiffness and integrity of the hull. It's one thing to modify and deck over a jon boat that is not subject to the stresses and forces of a bass boat with a 200 hp, plus or minus, hanging on the transom.

Happy 44th anniversary. A rare achievement in this day and age.

Then you've got to love the middle clown. I searched "clown suit". This is one of the results. Seriously.

They are taking a page from John Daly's fashion stylings.

Since I'm not fishing this time of year, I'll watch the game, maybe. If I was somewhere with decent fishing, I'd be fishing. At 72, the clock is ticking. For me, participation is better than observation.

It doesn't matter how others may judge you. They are rarely objective. Too many other factors enter into that evaluation. I think Mother Nature is a much better judge of character. NO, that is not a domestic bird. We were about thirty miles offshore when this migrating bird decided to stop for a rest. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Nothing is as good as good news.

Lunker City grubster 2 3/4", color is clear water. They also make a Swimming Ribster which is longer, 4" and not so chubby. We fish them on an 1/8th ounce jig head. I fished them for the first time last fall, and the bass loved them. You can swim them, or barely creep them along the bottom. I've also done well with the silver flash and the Arkansas shiner. They easily cast long distances. I fish them on four and six pound fluorocarbon. As you'd expect, the four pound test casts much further than the six.

You mean to tell me I'm not all that? Says who? I'm not only all that and a bag of chips. I'm also a beverage tossed in for good measure.

Hey Raider. You've got to be slipping. You haven't been banned from the forum.................................................................................................................................yet.

If it is leaking, the system is no longer sealed. If stuff can get out, then stuff can get in, such as moisture or, abrasive grit and dust. It's not likely to cause catastrophic failure of the mechanism, but over time the leak will get worse allowing more space for damaging contaminants and possible scoring of the shaft. It's like the old television advertisement where the mechanic, speaking about changing oil, and the costs involved, says, "You can pay me now, or pay me later." The moral being that it is cheaper to maintain a vehicle properly, than to neglect it and incur major expenses as a result. Eventually, it will need to be repaired. Not only may the repairs cost more, but you also have the ongoing expense of routinely adding fluid to your steering unit. It will never be cheaper to repair than it is right now.

The video might be better titled, "Fishermen are klutzes". One need look no further than Bill Dance's bloopers and out takes. Who else would risk a boat worth tens of thousands of dollars trying to get a two dollar bait free from rocky shallows?

Well, that makes a lot of sense to me. Let's see if I have this straight. I am connected to my daughter's cell phone. I speak into mine, and it sends my words in the form of text to her. Then, she can either speak to me, and text will appear on my phone, or she can type the text which will appear on my phone. I can see where that method would leave a message for her to read when she gets on her smart phone, but I'm not sure that it is an improvement over voice mail. Where is Gallagher when you need him? I'll always remember this line from one of his routines. Why do we park in driveways, but drive on parkways?

Enquiring minds want to know. How did you "accidentally" mock him? And to think, I always pictured you as a politcally correct kind of guy.

Old guy indeed. If you're old at 55, what does that make me at 72? My old flip phone is too smart for me. It can text. I use it as a phone. I use it as an alarm clock. Oh well, two out of three ain't bad. One other thing. I do have the phone numbers of family and friends stored in my phone. If my daughter wants to communicate with me via cell phone, she'll have to answer my calls. She knows I won't waste my time texting when I can speak in less than one tenth of the time it would take to text.

I suspect that crawfish are much like lobsters when it comes to color. The color of a lobster shell is related to, in no significant order, diet, the type of bottom that they are on, and genetics. In some areas of Buzzards Bay, the lobsters have brilliant coloration, and the crusher claws were proportionaltely larger than the other areas in the bay. The edges of the claws are an almost fluorescent red. Offshore lobsters tend to be a more orange/tan coloration than the inshore population. I tend to believe that the type of coloration and differences in body shapes have more to do with the particular area, and not genetics. I say this because, when a female "discharges" her eggs into the water, they are larva, and float in the water column and move at the whims of currents and wind, thus the location where they finally settle to the bottom as tiny lobsters is due to the whims of nature, not the spawning/breeding locations. When a lobster molts it will retain its original color, and distinct markings such as spots. Once an inshore lobster settles to the bottom it will not travel significant distances for the rest of its life. The poor critters that settle onto bottom which does not provide cover and/or food will not survive. In spite of their armored appearance, they are quite vulnerable to predators. Unlike the inshore population, the offshore lobsters will migrate long distances. Yet, they are still the same critter.

You can get a genuine Nitro cover for your Z-6, with a ratchet cord that will fit perfectly. However, you will find on the cover (in the pocket which contains the ratchet device), and in the instructions that you should not tow your boat at high speeds for long distances with the cover on. I was also told the same thing when I picked up my boat. What will happen is that road grit can get between the edge of the cover where it contacts the hull. The cover will flap and vibrate some as the air passes over it. It will act like sandpaper and damage the gel coat. Some will say they tow with the cover on and don't have a problem. But I have seen a few boats that were obviously damaged because they were towed with the cover on. From the Dowco/Guardian instructions. "As with all covers, trailering for long time periods at high speeds can cause some rubbing on the boat. Please take time to inspect the cover for any contact with graphics or logos and protect them with cloth or foam" http://www.dowcomarine.com/data/resources_pdfs/Ratchet%20Style%20Mooring%20Covers1.pdf It's your boat, and your choice.

Insane, crazy, take your pick. I don't like heights at all. In fact, I wish I was shorter.

You are correct about the electronics. The 7 and 8 both come with the same, basic, monochrome, sounder mounted in the console. I think the 9 comes with that unit as well. Power poles are also options on all models. I think the new 7s come with hydraulic steering now, but not sure. Good luck with whatever you get, new or used.

Unless the extra length is a problem such as fitting into your garage, consider a Z-8. It could save you money. I had a Z-7. It's a nice boat, but it doesn't compare to the Z-8 for ride and stability, when it breezes up. Just for fun, price a Z-7 with the options that come standard on a Z-8. I did that a couple of years ago and found that a Z-7 would cost more, and have a 150 HP Optimax while the Z-8 comes with a 200 HP Optimax, and a tandem trailer. At that time, hydraulic steering was an option on the 7. Trailer brakes were also an option. Lighted forward lockers were an option on the 7, and while I've never seen one, a tandem trailer was on the list of options for the 7. It's the same between a Z-8 and a Z-9. Add the costs of the options that come standard on the 9, and the 8 can end up costing more. That includes the five thousand dollar option on the 8 to upgrade the 200 hp engine to a 250 hp Optimax Before you jump into a 7, take the time to price them both with the same components. I got my Z-8 in 2012. It was a 2011. The only options were retractable tie downs, a ratchet cord Nitro cover, and trailer brakes. Its sticker price was 33,000 dollars marked down to 29,000 dollars. I Paid 19,000 for the leftover Z-7, and got 16,000 for it as a trade-in. The "depreciation" of 3000 dollars meant I fished the boat for 1500 dollars per year. Not too shabby for the use of the boat for two years.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+to+bleed+hydraulic+steering+on+outboard&qpvt=how+to+bleed+hydraulic+steering+on+outboard&FORM=VDRE

the switch away from wood structural components in fiberglass boats varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. The fact that wood is a problem has been known for decades. In 1975, my buddy and I bought a 20 foot fiberglass boat for next to nothing. We thought it was a bargain until we had to have the plywood in the transom replaced. It involved leaving the outer skin of the transom intact while everything else was cut away. Then plywood was fitted to the hull, and bonded to the outer layer of fiberglass. then the replacement plywood got several layers of fiberglass, along with the outside to make it watertight. We also replaced a couple of stringers. It was a good thing we had a friend who worked building and repairing boats. He worked with us after work and on weekends. That kept the cost of the repair work reasonable. If we had to have a boatyard do the work the cost would be prohibitive. You can inspect the transom and the area surrounding it very carefully for stress cracks which are a sign the transom is flexing. If you find them, run, don't walk away from the boat. If there is a problem with the transom, then the rest of the hull will be suspect. Your best bet is to get a marine surveyor to inspect the hull. It won't be cheap, but it will be money well spent, compared to dealing with hull problems. A surveyor will know what to look for. They can also "sound" the hull, by tapping it with a small mallet. Solid innards will produce an entirely different sound from wood that is deteriorating. Wood that is rotten or rotting will produce a dull thump. Punky wood will absorb the vibrations rather than transmitting them like the body of a guitar or violin. It's like testing watermelons for ripeness by thumping them on the end with a finger. Were I in the market for an older boat to save money, I'd probably opt for an aluminum bass boat, just to eliminate the potential, expensive, problems that are inherent with older fiberglass boats that used wood in structural components. You can always check with the manufacturer to find out if the boat you are considering used wood in that boat.